4 of the top fall festivals in Canada

Fall festivals

At the end of a humidity soaked summer, many Canadians love nothing more than to get out and celebrate the new crispness in the air at a fabulous fall festival. If you love to slip on a sweater and experience some autumn excitement, consider checking out one [or more!] of these top Canadian fall festivals.

Tremblant Symphony of Colours

Quebec's Mont Tremblant comes alive in autumn with the sounds and excitement of the Tremblant Symphony of Colours. Set amid the glorious fall foliage of the Laurentian Mountain region, the festival runs Saturdays and Sundays in September through the first week of October and features fall concerts in the pedestrian village at Tremblant.

Numerous musical acts play free of charge. The other activities at Mont Tremblant, such as sports, hiking, shopping, and dining, are all available as part of the experience.

Kitchener/Waterloo Oktoberfest

Each October, Ontario boasts what is billed as 'Canada's Greatest Bavarian Festival.' The Kitchener/Waterloo Oktoberfest is a full nine days of German-themed fun boasting over 40 family and cultural events, including a Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Events range from live music, fashion, German culture, sports and family-oriented events [there are too many celebrations to list!]. Visit one of the 15 Festhallens to experience the music, dancing, traditional food (think sausage and schnitzel), and of course, beer! Roll out the barrel!

Niagara Grape and Wine Festival

The Niagara Wine Festival boasts over 100 events throughout its nine-day duration. On offer are tours of wineries, wine tasting (with culinary pairings!), seminars, concerts, live entertainment and even a big parade! The main site of the festival is historic Montebello Park in St. Catharines, Ont.

Those with a Discovery Pass will be able to experience the Niagara Wine Route, which includes stops at six Niagara wineries offering up VQA wine and culinary samples on the two weekends of the festival!

Celtic Colours International Festival

The Celtic Colours Festival is held for nine days in October on Cape Breton Island, N.S., in celebration of the area's living Celtic culture. Hundreds of Celtic musicians have performed at this festival since its inception in 1997. Throughout the festival, numerous concerts are held all over the island along with art exhibitions and workshops. Dancers, singers and storytellers descend on the Cape Breton area from all over the world.

Uniquely, the festival is spread throughout different communities on the island, so travellers move from place-to-place at the best time of the year for experiencing the blazing fall colours. Don't miss Festival Club, which is held each night after the evening concerts wind down. Artists come together, the bar stays open until 3 a.m., and the music continues until late in the morning!